Refund & Cancellation Policy

1. Order Cancellations

• You may cancel free of charge at any time before your order has been prepared or dispatched for delivery.
• To cancel, please message us on WhatsApp at 063 732 6719 — cancellations by call or SMS are also accepted, but WhatsApp with your order number is fastest.
• Once an order has been prepared and handed over to the delivery driver, it can no longer be cancelled.

2. Change of Mind — No Refunds

Because our atchar is a perishable, handmade food product prepared on demand, we do not offer refunds, returns, or exchanges for:

• Change of mind after delivery or collection
• If you "don't like the taste" or find it too spicy / mild
• Ordering the wrong size or quantity

If you are unsure which product to try, please send us a WhatsApp first — we are happy to advise on flavour and heat level before you order.

3. When We DO Offer a Refund or Replacement

We will happily offer a full refund or free replacement (your choice) in any of the following cases:

• Damaged / spoiled on arrival: tubs leaking, broken seal, or product that arrived warm / unrefrigerated when it was supposed to be kept cool.
• Wrong product received: the items you got are not the ones on your order confirmation.
• Wrong quantity: missing items from your order.
• Non-delivery: your order never arrived after the confirmed delivery window.
• Quality fault: visible mould, strange smell, or expired product at the time of delivery.

4. How to Request a Refund or Replacement

1. Contact us on 063 732 6719 within 24 hours of receiving (or attempting to receive) your order.
2. Include your order confirmation code from your receipt or WhatsApp message.
3. Attach clear photos showing the problem (e.g., leaking tub, wrong product label, broken seal, etc.).
4. We will reply within 2 business hours on normal business days to confirm the next step.

Claims received after 24 hours, or without photos where a product fault is alleged, will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and may not qualify.

5. Refund Processing Time

• Cash on Delivery (COD): No payment has been made yet, so no refund is required for cancellations before dispatch. If COD payment was already taken and a refund is approved, we will refund via EFT or cash-back on your next order within 3 business days.
• Card / Online (Paystack): Approved refunds are reversed to your original payment card within 5–7 business days. Some banks may take an additional 1–3 days to reflect the reversal.

6. Delivery Fees

The R20 delivery fee is non-refundable for change-of-mind returns. If we are at fault (wrong order, damaged, non-delivery), the full amount including delivery fee will be refunded, or a free re-delivery will be arranged for the replacement.

7. Business Hours & Response Times

We operate Monday – Sunday (incl. public holidays) for order preparation. WhatsApp messages are attended to 08:00 – 20:00 daily. Messages received outside these hours will be responded to first thing the next morning.

8. Customer Complaints

We do our absolute best for every customer. If you are not satisfied, please reach out to us on WhatsApp 063 732 6719 and allow us to resolve the issue before leaving a negative review — 99% of issues are resolved with a quick conversation.